NBMA destroys N40m unauthorised transgenic cotton seeds

By Folarin Kehinde

The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has destroyed 57 cartons of unauthorised transgenic hybrid cotton seeds weighing about 950 kilogrammes, saying the products were imported into the country without complying with Nigeria’s biosafety regulations.

The agency said the confiscated seeds, allegedly imported by Fiyah Global Concept Limited, were valued at about N40m.

Speaking during the destruction exercise on Thursday, the Director-General of the NBMA, Dr Fatima Zuntu, said the disposal was in line with the agency’s statutory mandate to regulate modern biotechnology activities in the country.

She said investigations initiated after surveillance operations and intelligence gathering established that the seeds were brought into Nigeria without adherence to the regulatory procedures stipulated under the NBMA Act.

Zuntu, however, clarified that the incident was an issue of regulatory non-compliance and not a biosafety threat.

She said, “This exercise is in fulfilment of our statutory mandate to ensure that all modern biotechnology activities are conducted in line with the NBMA Act. Today, we are disposing of 57 cartons of transgenic hybrid cotton seeds weighing approximately 950 kilogrammes.

“Our investigations confirmed that these seeds were introduced into the country without compliance with the required biosafety regulatory processes.

“Let me clearly emphasise that this is not a biosafety issue. It is fundamentally an issue of non-compliance with our regulatory guidelines. At no point did the unauthorised activity carried out by the company pose a threat to human health or the environment.”

She assured Nigerians that the agency would continue to enforce compliance with biosafety regulations while prioritising the protection of public health, biodiversity and the environment.

The NBMA boss warned that the enforcement action should serve as a deterrent to individuals, organisations and institutions that fail to comply with the provisions of the law.

“No one is above the law. Regulatory compliance is not optional; it is a legal obligation, and we will not hesitate to act against violations of our regulatory guidelines,” she added.

Zuntu also urged researchers, scientists, seed companies and other stakeholders involved in biotechnology to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals before embarking on any biotechnology-related activities.

She further appealed to journalists to ensure accurate reporting on biosafety issues, warning that misinformation could create unnecessary public fear and anxiety.

She commended the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria and the State Waste Management and Sanitation Authority for supporting the successful disposal of the confiscated seeds.

Also speaking, the Assistant Chief Scientific Officer in the Department of Enforcement and Operations, Abisabo Adamu, said the seized products were valued at about N40m based on their import cost.

He said, however, that the agency’s primary concern was not the monetary value of the products but ensuring compliance with the provisions of the NBMA Act.

“The worth of this confiscated product is about N40m based on our investigation from the point of import. However, no amount of money is worth undermining the legal provisions of the Act,” Adamu said.

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